Software Deployment

Turbs, The file [original_source_media]Cognos Impromptu 6\user\Cognos\readme\imp_inst.pdf says that you use ARP so I guess your question is really how to uninstall silently, since there should be an 'Uninstall' string for you to read for a normal uninstall...

See....1st thing is anyhow you will have to find out silent parameters for the uninstallation, if u do not get it use following process.

1) Capture whole application, through wise package studion in the form of .wse file instead of .wsi file
2) compile it, you will get exe file
3) on the clean machine install this exe
4) you will get 1 unwise.exe and install.log file
5) on any machine where youe application is installed, keep these 2 files and trigger the uninstallation
unwise.exe [path to install.log] /s
6) remember this is the last option......

Yeah, the uninstall key is a loud uninstaller that is not automated.
There's an uninst.exe with some parameters that will allow a silent install, but you need to have an uninstall.ini file... and they don't tell you how to code the ini file to make it silent and the installation ini doesn't work.
With version 7.x and up, they tell you how to code the ini file, but those settings don't work on version 6.. and they say that "silent uninstalls are a new feature to version 7". It installs silently, it's annoying that they didn't tell you how to uninstall it that way.

I'm trying not to recapture suchi.jigar.

If I have to, I'll use AutoIt.

I did not tell you to capture it as your package, but after capturing and compiling you will get exe file.....if u install that exe file, u will get unwise.exe and install.log file, which is important, which can be run silently, and u will be able to uninstall your software...

suchi.jigar, that's interesting, I've never tried that. I'm going to attempt to use the native installer first, then AutoIt, then I might give that a go. Thanks.

Turbs, so it is a silent install you're after. If it were me, I'd build an uninstalling MSI. Add the main folder to the RemoveFile table and the main registry key (if any) to the RemoveRegistry table and let it rip. MUCH easier than faffing with AutoIT, WiseScript and the rest.

I built a similar package to uninstall WinZip which had been deployed by Group Policy to a collection of machines using an account which no longer existed. As you may know, GP-deployed apps can't be installed in any normal fashon, even by the administrator so the Birmingham Screwdriver was called for.

Yes, that is also a good way, but for that you will have to install that msi 1st then u will have to uninstall right? and if any package is there, which is intalling so many registry keys, at different locations, then?

No, wrong. I suggested creating an uninstall MSI. Cognos is a pretty straight-forward app in its file structure and registry usage. The only potential fly in the ointment is COM registration but I only have my v7 package to go by.

In that version, I see MSRichText, SSCalendar and TrueDBGrid being registered. They're probably safe to leave in place. The remaining registry junk is under 'HKLM\Software\Cognos' and 'HKCU\Software\Cognos.' We can add the 'Uninstall' information that the old installer used to our list.

File-wise, it's '[ProgramFilesFolder]Cognos' and '[CommonFilesFolder]Cognos'.

That's about it. Easy to build an uninstalling MSI from that information.

That's also an interesting idea VBScab. I may try that. Right now I'm using what little influence I have as a contractor to get my client to abandon 6.5 and move to 8.x. [:)]